Department of Chemistry - Opportunities

Work Study Opportunities
Work study students Elizabeth Hooper, Morgan Doyle and Stephanie Dwyer prepping a labEach year two first-year students and two second-year students work with faculty in the Science and Mathematics division to prepare laboratory experiments, maintain the laboratories, and complete other duties as assigned.

Job Description
Selected work study students will be asked to help with the following work.

  • Preparation and dispersal of laboratory materials prior to class meeting
  • Removal of laboratory materials upon completion of class
  • Maintain orderliness or preparation areas, glass room and chemical stockroom
  • Maintain inventory
  • Maintain M.S.D.S. files
  • Wash and shelve glassware and miscellaneous laboratory supplies
  • Care for live plants and maintain prepared specimens
  • Perform general office work including typing, filing, picking up mail, running errands
  • Assist in monitoring some laboratory exercises

Special Qualifications
It is beneficial if students have prior experience in a chemistry laboratory. Participation in a high school chemistry course should be a minimum requirement, but experience as a laboratory assistant or laboratory worker is preferable. It is beneficial if the student has experience with the use of computers. It is assumed that a student applying for this position intends to enroll in General Chemistry I during their first semester at Cottey.


Research Opportunities
Students have the opportunity to conduct undergraduate research in chemistry under the direction of either Dr. Fowler or Dr. Ross. You may begin research as early as the second semester of your first year, and may complete up to a total of three semesters of research. To qualify to participate in a research project, you must have completed General Chemistry I with a grade of B or higher. You earn academic credit for your research by enrolling in CHE295.

Previous undergraduate research students in chemistry and their projects

  • Megan Lang ('04) Spring 2004.Megan Lang ('04) Spring 2004. "Extraction and analysis of the components of juniper berries." Dr. Ross.
  • Amy Schapansky ('04) and Wendy Smith ('04) Spring 2003and Fall 2003. "Approaches toward the syntheses of di-substituted ferrocene derivatives." Dr. Ross.
  • Jordan Smith ('04) Spring 2003 and Fall 2003. "Computational study or aromatic radical cations." Dr. Ross.
  • Amber Rosenberg ('03) Spring 2002, Fall 2002 and Spring 2003. "Displacement of halide from N-substituted tetrahalophthalimides by methoxide ion." Dr. Fowler. Results presented at the Missouri Academy of Science meeting, April 2003.
  • Aoua Coulibaly ('03) Fall 2002 and Spring 2003. "Synthesis of vanillyl triacetate." Dr. Fowler.
  • Audrey Davis ('02) Spring 2002. Displacement of bromide from N-phenyl tetrabromophthaliimide by methoxide ion." Dr. Fowler.
  • Sarah Bloom ('02) Summer 2001. Study of the synthesis of chain-type polyphenyl compounds." Dr. Ross.
  • Petra Peters ('00) Spring 2000. "FTIR spectroscopy of smectite clays. Dr. Ross.
  • Stephanie Kuther ('00) Fall 1999. "Synthesis of 4,4'-dinitro- and 4,4'-diamino- derivatives of chain-type polyphenyl compounds" Dr. Ross. Results presented at the Missouri Academy of Science meeting, April 1999.
  • Heather Milligan ('00) Fall 1999. "Intercalation of diammonium chain-type polyphenyls compounds in a smectite clay mineral." Dr. Ross. Results presented at the Missouri Academy of Science meeting, April 2000.
  • Andrea Sigwing ('00) Fall 1999. "Esterification Reactions of Vanillin." Dr. Fowler.
  • Jelena Zurovac ('00) Summer 1999. "Study of the interaction of smectite clay minerals with quaternary ammonium-substituted linear aromatics." Dr. Ross.
  • Jessica Plettner ('99) Spring 1999. "Isolation of hopane biomarkers." Dr. Ross. Results presented at the Missouri Academy of Science meeting, April 1999.
  • Angela Clay ('99) Fall 1998. "A study of the kinetics of acylal formation." Dr. Fowler.
  • Sylvia Ranji ('98) Summer 1997 and Fall 1997. "The interaction of 2,5-bis[(trimethylammonium)methyl]-1,4-benzenediol with a smectite clay mineral." Dr. Ross. Results presented at the Missouri Academy of Science meeting, April 1998.

Department of Chemistry

Course Descriptions

Opportunities

For more information on Cottey's academic program, please contact the Office of Enrollment Management by e-mail or by calling 1-888-5-COTTEY (1-888-526-8839).